Monroeville bumps up lunch prices to meet gov't standards

MONROEVILLE — The Monroeville school board has approved several changes to its student handbook, including a slight increase to school lunches.

Lunch prices for the 2018-2019 academic year will be $2.65 for students in fourth grades and below, $2.80 for students in fifth through eighth grades and $2.95 for those in high school. Adults are $3.50.

This reflects a five-cent increase over last year’s prices for the lunch prices. However, milk, which costs 50 cents, will remain the same, as will the hot breakfast prices.

“It’s only going up 5 cents and that’s only for the lunches. The breakfast prices are staying the same; we serve a hot breakfast,” Superintendent Ralph Moore said. “The cost of milk is 50 cents — that’s staying the same. This is just in response to trying to keep us eligible for the federal government’s reimbursement program.”

Moore said the barely noticeable increase will help the school to continue to offer free and reduced lunches.

“We have to stay in a certain price range so the federal government doesn’t cite us for a reimbursement violation,” he said. “We get reimbursed (for students on free and reduced lunches) and they will cite us if we don’t keep the lunches at a certain price range. Otherwise you could have districts that were taking advantage of the reimbursement funds.”

Moore said Monroeville opted not to increase any school, book or material fees for the upcoming school year.

“Those stayed the same,” he said. “There will be no changes in fees, either for elementary or high school students.”

That means for students in kindergarten through sixth grade workbook and material fees will be $30, with a $5 activity fee per child. However, fees aren’t to exceed $150 per family. Fees can be paid in the school’s online portal, where parents also are able to put money on a student’s lunch account.

Another adjustment made to the student handbook as a way to comply with new state regulations was school suspensions and expulsions.

For students facing drastic measures for their actions, Monroeville schools and every district throughout Ohio, added an option to the handbook allowing the superintendent to assign community service in lieu of an out-of-school suspensions or expulsions.

“If we chose to, we can community service instead of having the student suspended or expelled,” Moore said. “That’s true for all the schools throughout the state now. It’s a new state statute that we all have to comply with.”

Also, the term “vapes” was added as another form of unacceptable tobacco use under student conduct, showing the district’s strong stand against any tobacco product.

All changes the board approved reflect on both the high and middle school handbooks, that’s students in seventh grade and higher.